Quit Smoking Guide And Aids

It has been 50 years since the announcement of the Surgeon General about the evils of smoking. And since then we have seen tobacco in a different light. An evil kind. Back then, the Surgeon General Luther L Terry said that smoking causes lung cancer. Now, we know that it is true. About 80 percent of lung cancer cases in America is caused directly or indirectly by tobacco smoke.

In the 50th anniversary of Terry’s report we now know more about smoking. Years have passed and countless studies showed us how evil and grimacing smoking can be. Today, smoking rates among adults have dropped from a high of 42 percent to 18 percent. Still, the smoking rate is high and has played in double-digits ever since. Getting the smoking rate down to 18 percent may be a good sign, but in reality 41 million Americans still smoke cigarettes. This translates to 400,000 deaths in America each year that could have been prevented. That is one every five deaths in the United States.

We now know that female smokers are at risk of lung cancer due to smoking. Scientists are certain that smoking can cause colorectal cancer. The report does not say, however, that smoking can cause breast cancer, but there are sufficient mechanisms to believe so. There is a very high probability that smoking can cause breast cancer. The changes in the design of cigarettes gave rise to new challenges to health issues that face modern-day smokers. It seems that today’s cigarettes have become more dangerous than ever before.

While science took great strides to find ways to help cancer patients. There is nothing better than to quit smoking to lower the risks of cancer. The cures that have been developed are cost-prohibitive and only the rich folks can afford the treatments. Health experts say that a simple act of smoking cessation can go a long way in preventing cancer from happening at the same time help the entire body recover from the ravage of poisons that a smoker puff into his or her body.

Doctors say that spending an insane amount of money to extend a person’s life for a few months is impractical. It would be more cost-effective and practical to do something that come in for free. It is better to quit smoking than to face the consequence of getting killed unnecessarily. The available chemotherapy that is available will not guarantee that a cancer patient will still live for years. There is no guarantee that the cancer will be gone. The only way to beat cancer is not to have it in the first place. And the best way to start is to stop smoking for good.

Then again, quitting smoking is a hard thing to do. Despite years of tobacco control, the smoking rate has remained in double-digits. In fact, in the estimate of the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, every day about 3,000 young folks are going to taste their first cigarettes. About 90 percent of the kids that would be smoking during their teens will become addicted to nicotine as they turn 21. It seems that prohibition of tobacco purchase among young people is not that strong enough to prevent smoking from escalating.

It is high time that people pay attention to the smoking status report. It is unfair to just sit back and do nothing as millions of people die from smoking around the world. The call to create an impact in smoking does not only impact the smokers, but other stakeholders as well. Healthcare providers, taxpayers and the general public have vested interests in pushing for better ways to prevent smoking from cutting loose.

We need to change the way the game is being played. We need to put in place measures that will ensure that future generations would no longer smoke like the way previous generations did. It is high time to put in place positive actions that can change the course of the world. We owe it to our children that they will live in a smoke-free world. A world that is free from tobacco. A world that is free from the horrors of preventable deaths.

Korea is mulling the possibility of making cigarette prices more expensive by jacking up the taxes on top of the retail price. This has been a key tobacco control pro tip that has been sweeping across the world. But, can it really make a real dent on the smoking rate or will it be another futile attempt to lower the smoking rate that has been at best abysmal?

Korea remains to be one of the remaining countries that have very cheap tobacco prices. And this has been hurting the nation literally. People continue to smoke and thus causing a widespread problem because smoking causes a huge dent not only to public health, but also to the economy.

Smoking does impact the economy. The US are losing about $90 billion a year to treat the diseases due to smoking and also lost productivity due to absences. This is a very bitter pill to swallow. It sets up a nation reeling from the effects of preventable death and also getting hit with costs that could have been diverted to other matters and even saved.

The economic impact of smoking is evident in Korea too. In 1998, the estimated cost that was attributable to smoking was pegged at US$ 2.2 billion or about 0.59 of the gross domestic product. The study that went into the effects of smoking to the Korean economy concluded that there is a substantial economic burden. That is why Koreans need to build a strong national policy to effectively control tobacco within the country.

It was noted in 2002 that Korea has a very high smoking prevalence, which also impacts the exposure of non-smokers to secondhand smoke. This was made worse by the fact that Korea then had no solid tobacco control policy.

The move to increase the cost of cigarettes in Korea is a bold move to push the boundaries of tobacco control as more people will now think twice with their smoking habit. Doubling the prices of the cigarettes will only make Korean smokers think about their addiction and may decide to quit smoking.

In 2004, the tax on tobacco was increased by 500 Korean Won per pack. The result was a 27 percent decrease in sales in just one year. The government made sure that this is pushed further as increasing taxes made tobacco prices artificially higher and less affordable to Korean smokers. But, the Korean government has not been able to follow-up this move since there is a great concern brewing. It is the concern of the government that further hikes may impact the low-income segment of the country. It is known that 80 percent of the smokers often land in the low to middle income bracket. This is a global trend that is true to most nations in the world.

The problem is that taxing cigarettes is not progressive taxing. It would only create problems among the poorer Koreans. But, the government is missing the point. Some pundits say it is not for the poorer Koreans to be affected, the hike in taxes is meant to make the smoking addiction less attractive. This means that poorer people that are more leaning to smoking will think twice in smoking and may quit for good.

The World Health Organization in their appeal last 31st May said that it is important to increase the excise tax on tobacco by 70 percent. This would make tobacco less attractive for smokers and also dissuade young people to smoke. Young smokers are price-sensitive and any movement in the prices of tobacco will result to less attraction and possibly giving up the habit.

It has been suggested that Korea funnel the taxes to fund smoking-cessation clinics and other anti-smoking programs to help smokers get away from their addiction and become healthier.

Korea needs to understand that tobacco control is important. More than just raising the taxes, government needs to ensure that everything is in check. Norway’s pack prices are six times more expensive than in Korea. This is a glaring indication that the Koreans have to really catch up with other nations in the world in stamping out tobacco addiction and make their citizens healthier.

It is hard to tone down the cravings. It is hard not to seek the good feeling that comes from flavorful cigarette. If you are a smoker, you know the feeling. Only smokers would know how hard it is not to get a smoke. But, smoking kills. It kills at least six million people worldwide. In America, about 400,000 die each year. Yet, every day about 3,000 new smokers try out the flavor. The madness has to stop. Finding the will not to smoke for good is hard but it is the key to become smoke-free forever. Here are the things to be considered in finding the will to quit.

Remind yourself of the reason

Each time you remind yourself about the reason for quitting, you regain the will why you have to undergo such exercise. Quitting smoking is hard and it will take a toll on the smoker. If only quitting is easy, you will see about 70 percent of smokers no longer being subjected to the nicotine addiction. No matter you reasons are, you are making the biggest decision in your life that can change everything.

Remember that the urge is temporary

Don’t worry too much about the urges to smoke. It is only temporary. Most of the time it would last for about three to twelve weeks. After that, the urges would be less intense and spaced longer in between. While you are riding the withdrawal wave, try to find something that can help you get distracted. Distraction is a great way to delay your urges and avoid lighting up a cigarette. There are plenty of things to do besides smoking. And you can start by chewing a sugar-free gum and fiddle with a pencil. Getting your mouth and fingers busy can help you overcome the urges.

Remember that stress can be overcome

Anxiety and stress are the leading reasons why people smoke. They claim that they are getting some stress relief from smoking. This is farthest from the truth. In fact, people that quit smoking are able to shield themselves from frequent worries and even have better chances against depression and mental illness. You can try eating more healthy food that are rich in magnesium, potassium and tryptophan. These minerals and chemical can help produce more feel-good chemicals that can help overcome the effects of stress.

Remember one is more than enough

There is no such thing as having only one cigarette. It would just lead you towards a downhill path towards relapse. If you allow yourself to get tagged by the “only one” line then it is best to re-start the quitting process. It is easy to get tempted with just one cigarette especially if there are triggers and the urge is too much to handle. Try to remember why you are quitting in the first place. Drink plenty of water and to do some

deep breathing exercises. Try to focus on your work so that you will be able to get distracted and delay something that you’re not supposed to do.

Remember to have a new life

Change your habits and routines. This way you will have less triggers that would urge you to go back to smoking. If you are able change your wardrobe, revamp it. The smell of tobacco in clothing can trigger you to smoke again. Try to avoid the places that will make you reminded of smoking. Bars, adult-themed entertainment areas, casinos and the like can trigger your memory of smoking.

Remember you can get some help

Your family and friend are there to support you in your effort to quit smoking. There are support groups that can help you in the monumental decision that you will be making. Your doctor would be more than glad to help you. He/she would be able to give you some ideas where to find help on your addiction to tobacco.

The fact that there are still 40 million smokers in America and about a billion worldwide, is an indication that smoking is hard to get over with. Always reinforce your will with the reasons why you’re quitting. Your reasons could be medical, they could be professional and they could be personal. Quitting smoking is hard but it is a testament on how you can be bigger than tobacco and a better person.

Electronic cigarettes have been getting plenty of negative press of late. The media are essentially telling the world that there is more in electronic cigarettes that meets the eye. But, for some people that vaporizer is more than just a fancy nicotine dispenser. It has become a life saver.

Many public studies have shown that the vapor that is being dispensed by vapes are a thousand times safer and less carcinogenic than tobacco smoke. It is a no-brainer, since there is nothing that is more cancerous than tobacco smoke. We know that tobacco smoke accounts for the cause of 12 kinds of cancer, ranging from lung, in certain cases breast, colorectal, pancreatic, ovarian and even prostate among others.

More than anything else, these vapes have helped some smokers to give up smoking altogether and that is something that is truly significant. Putting strain to people that have been using the products could spell doom.

There are jurisdictions that are now contemplating on putting excise taxes on electronic cigarettes. This could be a knee-jerk reaction to the growing popularity of vapes. Soon enough, more smokers are now switching to a safer alternative. But, the people that are against vaping has been waging a war and from the looks of it, they are winning.

The consensus is that electronic cigarettes should not be allowed in the market in the first place. Using the precautionary principle, the vapes should be disallowed pending the tests verifying the long-term health effects. That is the problem, we know nothing about the long-term effects of vaping.

The increase in vapes will only cause problems to smokers’ health. In Spain, where vaping has been banned in public places, the smoking rate jumped to 75 percent after declining. This means that smokers were pushed to the corner and gave up their chance with vaping and resorted to go back to cigarettes. This is a very lamentable state because the smokers are pushed to the corner without any alternative available to them. Increasing the prices of the excise tax on electronic cigarettes could be a de facto ban on them. It means that the current adult smokers that would be contemplating to switch will no longer do so. They would consider switching to vapes from tobacco a very bad idea. Why? They are not getting the same amount of nicotine kick with electronic cigarettes. If they are going to pay the same with vapes as they have been with tobacco, chances are they will stick to tobacco until they become sick.

And this is a problem waiting to explode on our faces. We are now in the cusp of having a solution to the smoking problem. In fact, Britain and France, who have been allowing their citizens to vape have been seeing a decline in smoking rates. Although, vapes are not named to be the grand cause of the decline, surely their presence will not cause any problem for tobacco control. Some people think that allowing vapes could only make the tobacco problem worse. From what we are seeing in the experience of people in some countries, it seems that electronic cigarettes are working for them.

The goal of electronic cigarettes is harm reduction and not harm elimination. There is a huge difference. If anti-smoking people are looking for devices that are absolutely harmless then they are looking at the wrong product. Even the nicotine replacement therapies and medications that have been approved to help smokers quit are not even absolutely safe. They are not even effective. In a recent study it was shown that electronic cigarettes are 60 percent better in helping smokers quit than NRT and even cold turkey methods. This means that there is a reason to believe that there is something about vapes that we should be able to take advantage.

Our goal is to make vapes safer. We cannot discount the fact that the lack of regulation makes it hard to ensure every brand sold in the market are free from potential health risks. It is incumbent upon the FDA to make sure that the vapes that are going to be sold in the market are within the standards to ensure the safety of the users.